by Ana Figueroa
Last updated: 2:15 PM ET, Wed April 25, 2018
MSC Cruises has announced that MSC Bellissima will deploy to China in the spring of 2020. The ship will also sail several itineraries from Japan. The second in the Meraviglia class of ships, MSC Bellissima is under construction at STX France's shipyard in Saint-Nazaire. She enters service in March 2019.
MSC Bellissima will sail an inaugural season in the Mediterranean before arriving in Asia. Her notable features will include the longest LED Sky Screen at Sea, measuring 262 feet long. A 315 ft. long Mediterranean-style promenade will serve as the ship's social hub.
New entertainment options include MSC Cruises Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows nightly. And the next-generation MSC Yacht Club will span three decks, offering luxury staterooms, private facilities and butler service.
Additionally, MSC Splendida has commenced a season in Asia.
A favorite of Asian guests traveling in Europe, MSC Splendida has undergone extensive renovation to better serve the Asian market. She now features a selection of Asian and Western cuisines in three new restaurants: the signature hot pot restaurant, Sea Pavilion, by the acclaimed Chinese chef Jereme Leung; the Hong Kong style Dim Sum & Teahouse; and the Butcher's Cut, the popular American-style steak house on the MSC Cruises' fleet.
During her season in Asia, MSC Splendida will operate mostly out of Shanghai as well as Yokohama, Japan. At 137,936 GRT, she's one of the largest vessels currently operating in the region. The ship features 1,637 staterooms, 76 percent of them with balconies.
"MSC Splendida does not mark the end of our ambitions in China and Asia overall. This market is a global priority, and we are committed to serving it with our very best ships and products. For this reason, I'm delighted to announce that MSC Bellissima will homeport in Asia as of Spring 2020, marking the next step of our growth in one of the world's most appealing cruise markets," said MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato.
MSC Splendida is due to arrive in Yokohama on April 27, where the line will celebrate its ten-year anniversary in Japan.
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